White Shadow
by alice2104
Summary: Auggie puts everything into finding Annie's killer, but when he searches for the people responsible, he finds that someone has already beaten him to the punch. Someone he never thought he'd hear from again. not a deathfic. I suck at summaries Please read
1. Chapter 1

This is my second fanfic for covert affairs. I've had this idea in my head for a while, and the only way I seem to put my mind at ease is by writing it down.  
>Hope you Enjoy it.<br>Please Read & Review 

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><p>As soon as he'd heard word of her return, he knew better to check her desk for her presence. Despite the absence of her signature perfume, he knew that she wasn't anywhere inside the building. The cold night air washed against his skin as he slid open the court yard doors and made his way over to the bench, swinging his laser cane left to right. The running water was calming as he simply sat there feeling her presence close to his right on the bench. Even though he knew she was safe and back in the office, feeling her next to him dissolved the knot in his chest that he'd had since he'd heard the mission had gone southward.<p>

He gently rested his hand on her leg, "You did what you could, Annie. No other agent would've done it differently."

She let out a breath of air, "Please, Auggie. Don't try and make this easier for me. It was my fault he got away... All those months of work were for nothing."

Auggie could hear the regret and self-loath in her words. He turned in the direction of her voice, "Hey, none of this is your fault. No one could've predicted the ruse. And _no one _could've handled it better than you did. You worked with what was dealt to you, and you did a good job with it."

"I should've taken the shot." There was frustration and regret layering her words.

They both knew that if she had taken the shot she wouldn't have been sitting there. From what he'd heard from Joan after her debriefing Annie was outnumbered three to one, and had she pulled the trigger, she would've been dead before Ishkoff hit the floor. The operation she'd been sent on was complicated and dangerous but it wasn't something she hadn't been in before. What no one predicted was that Ishkoff had been tipped off about our arrival, and Annie barely scraped herself outer there. Then things had gone AWOL.

"Annie, your aim above all is to get back home safe. Never forget that." He heard her hair rustle as she nodded her head, but there seemed to be further turmoil raging within her, "What does your famous gut instincts tell you?"

"That this was just the beginning."

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><p>Auggie felt the tension in the room simmering as he stood about the other agents. No one had been able to tell him why everyone in the DPD had been brought to attention as Joan and Arthur stood near the railing near his office. As Annie wasn't here, he'd assumed Joan had forced her to take a short leave allowing her to have a rest period from the mission. He knew she would've argued Joan's' command, but once Joan gave you an order, there was no going against it. It still didn't explain the atmosphere in the room and that reforming knot in his chest that had subsided from yesterday. His thoughts came to a halt as Arthur spoke.<p>

"Good morning," every voice in the room immediately stopped, "I'm afraid we're here under unfortunate circumstances. Last night one of our own operatives from the C.I.A. was killed in the line of duty. The loss of life of any public servant is tragic. But at the agency it is the rarest of events." Auggie felt his gut clench at the terrible loss of a C.I.A. agent. Whether he knew them or not, it was still painful. "Until the time when Joan or myself can inform you on a need to know bases, all I can say is... we've lost a good operative."

Auggie closed his eyes and felt the tension in the air turn to one of sorrow and regret before he felt an arm gently touch his shoulder. "Auggie, I need to see you in my office."

Joan didn't utter another word until he heard the door to her office click shut. "Sit down Auggie, the couch is to your left."

Auggie sat down his expression was of confusion as to why he was here.

He felt the cushion next to him move as Joan sat down on his left, "Auggie, I'm deeply sorry to inform you like this and I wish I could have said something sooner... We lost Annie."

Arthur Campbell's words rang through his head; _we've lost a good operative_. His chest constricted as the last of his breath whooshed out from his lungs. They'd lost Annie? His entire body felt numb and broken, barely holding together. She was everything to him. It was as if he'd lost his unit all over again, but the hole it left in its wake was so much more than it'd been three years ago.

"How?" It surprised him that he was even able to form words.

Joan steadied herself, keeping her emotions in check, "They believe there was an explosion of some sorts and it took Annie and her sister's family with it." A tear escaped out of the corner of his eye as he processed what Joan was saying. "We believe that Ishkoff Vivaldi uncovered who she was and had her targeted."

Joan saw the haunted gleam in his eyes as she placed a hand on his shoulder, "We'll get him, you can count on that."

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><p>One year later...<p>

"Mishka Olivanti, deceased. Augustus Ivanoff, deceased. Doshcka Fedorov, deceased. Sergei Alekseev, deceased. Can anyone care to explain what the problem is?"

Auggie heard Stu and Jai smirk next to him. To everyone in the DPD there was absolutely nothing wrong with Ishkoff's close members of his circle dropping like flies. Ever since the agency lost Annie Walker Joan had a small portion of the DPD to focus directly on Ishkoff's location and operations. Ishkoff had been off the radar completely for an at least a year now. But the determination and intent on finding the son of a bitch was still easily seen in each of the operative's eyes.

Joan had noticed the changes in Auggie as time had worn on. His small bantering still continued, but it showed no sign of real humour or wicked glint when he said them. He'd work into the small hours of the morning and be at Langley at first light, and had no time for anyone else who wasn't working directly on their case. He'd sit through countless audio sippets that were obtained before Ishkoff went off the map and try and piece together anything that remotely related to where they could find him. There wasn't a doubt in Joan's mind that had her believe that Annie had never strayed far from his thoughts every single day.

Joan about to give up on the question and drill them about not answering her was stopped as Jai spoke, "We weren't the ones to take them out."

Joan nodded and circled a picture of a head with a question mark in it. "We've managed to narrow it down to a single person doing the take outs."

"You mean white shadow." Stu's voice piped up.

Joan gave him a stern look wiping the smirk off his face before continuing. "What do we know about this person Jai?"

"The take outs are all at point blank range, but we haven't been able to match the forensics of the bullet markings to any weapon we can trace. We also know from Mishka and Doshcka's bruising that this person is trained in combat, aiming blows that indicate close hand to hand fights." From the rumours that had flowed around the ten man group of this operation, this person was a force to be reckoned with. Auggie thought back to when Stu had created the name White Shadow, and couldn't find a more fitting name. Someone was out there who was taking out those responsible for Annie's death resembling the imitation of a ghost. No one had any clue who this person was or what they wanted. Auggie had become more and more frustrated with this person as the killings had gone on. Yes, the person was doing them a favour, but it was unwanted in Auggie's eyes. He wanted nothing more than to be the last person that any of those bastards saw. He wanted to be the one who took them down, one by one, as inhumane as possible. But that wasn't going to happen as long as Joan held Auggie's reigns close to her chest.

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><p>"I got eyes on White Shadow!" Barber called from behind Auggie as every eye in the room turned eagerly towards him.<p>

"Up on the screen, Barber" Joan turned her attention to the giant computer screen at the front of the room, everyone else following suit.

"That's not eyes, it's a picture. And you can't even see the face." Jai was quick to dismiss Barber's discovery as the blurry image of White Shadow filled the screen. "It's a body with no head."

Auggie moved to Joan's side, his voice calm yet intense, "Joan, tell me what you see."

"It's a woman. I can't see the head but those are definitely a woman's features. About 5'7, slender figure, I can't make out any identifying features, though. Where was this picture taken, Barber?"

Fingers hitting keys was the only noise in the room, "Gare Nice Ville train station, two days ago."

"Nice? Do we know where the trains were heading around that time?" Auggie turned his head in Barber's direction.

More tapping of keys before he responded to Auggie's question, "There was a train to Venice."

Joan's voiced spoke to everyone in the room as she made orders, "I want everyone checking the Venice stations for that train and footage of anyone matching the description we have, move it people." Joan turned and saw that Auggie had disappeared from her side and caught the back of him just as he was moving out the doors towards his office.

As soon as Auggie had heard Venice something from his research clicked. He hustled back to his desk and began searching through the data bases they had created on Ishkoff. Locating the audio clip, he ran it through translation once more and lifted his head phones to his ears.

"_They will enjoy the masquerade party; I only hope it doesn't echo loudly enough to pierce the walls."_

"Auggie-

"Joan, what time of the year is the Venice Masquerade Ball?"

"Around February, Why?"

"Because, Ishkoff has a villa somewhere near the main square and I bet you any money that's where our White Shadow is heading next."

Joan processed this as Auggie's hands flashed across his keyboard, reading the brail. "How do you know this Auggie?"

"One of the Audio clips mentions having walls that could echo the noise of the Masquerade Ball, meaning that he owns a place close by."

"Auggie we have to be certain-

Auggie yanked his headphones from his ears, "I wouldn't bother doing this Joan if I didn't have full belief that I was right. Go with me on this."

"Ok," Auggie was rarely surprised anymore but Joan's simple acceptance of his discovery managed to raise his attention. "I'll get it set up."

Auggie let himself relish in the idea of having Ishkoff in their reach before this White Shadow had a chance to snag him before them. He wanted the opportunity for himself.

...For Annie.

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><p>Hope you enjoyed it. Please tell me what you think. Next Chapter up soon. <strong>Reviews are Love<strong>.  
>By the way if you liked this, please check out my other fanfic for cover affairs, <strong>Trapped<strong>.


	2. Venice

I don't own Covert Affairs - I just wish I did. I definitely need season three soon, or I _will_ go insane.

Hope you like.

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><p>Chapter two.<p>

After immense intellectual reasoning that had come down to threatening to leave the agency, Auggie had been flown to Venice with Jai, Louis and Stu. The entire flight over, Auggie couldn't do anything but let himself hope that his vengeance was finally upon him. Even if he didn't ever find out whom the White Shadow was, as long as Annie's killer was butchered. He caught himself a few times on the trip over as he almost unleashed his frustration and pent up rage on Stu and Jai, and any other courteous passengers who were also on the plane. His short temper was fusing out of control, and at one point even Stu placed his hand on his arm, reminding him that he needed to be patient. He may not be the only one who wanted Ishkoff, but he was damn sure he was the one who needed it the most. Auggie still couldn't believe someone had one over on Annie Walker. The Annie Walker he'd taught and sparred with. The Annie whose skills and talents surprised even Arthur Campbell. The Annie Walker who'd push him to go the extra mile because she knew he could. The Annie Walker he couldn't live without.

The Annie Walker he no longer felt near him.

It _crushed_ him, day after day, knowing she wasn't there. Time hadn't healed his wounds at all. The further away he was from that last day he spent with her, the more his wounds tore open. She was a constant in his mind; her Jo Malone perfume, her clicking heels, her melodic voice, her slender figure when he hugged her and sparred with her. He kept those memories fresh hoping that some nights his memories would invade his dreams rather than anguishing nightmares. There was nothing he wouldn't give just to have her with him once again. The one thing he'd tried to do, he'd failed at. Keeping her safe was one of his top priorities and he'd _failed_.

Those first few weeks weren't the worst. Everyone had just witnessed it. He still drank himself to pieces on weekends, he still dreamt about her, and he still woke up screaming. But he had to rein it in at work. The apparently large hole in the plaster in his office was a reminder of that. The only thing that kept him functioning was taking revenge on Ishkoff.

Ishkoff, once a Russian militarist for the Soviet, now a large weapons handler moving shipments across the globe to different terrorist organisations, some as large and well known as Al-Qaeda. Auggie should have known that someone as well connected as Ishkoff would have found a way to get to anyone who went against him. Someone like Annie.

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><p>The equipment had been set up by Interpol and was now up and running in a beaten down grocery truck out the back of the safe house the four had been set up in. Jai and Louis were to be the eyes and feet while Stu and Auggie were to be ears and brains of the operation. Auggie had learned to accept over time that his skills would only take him so far, and that eyes were the one thing from stopping him from being out there in the field. It only stirred further frustration as it deterred him from being in the fight on the one mission he could barely refuse to back down from.<p>

Auggie pressed the headphone button off, "You're on speaker, Joan."

"_The festival starts in two days, giving us a thirty-six hour window to scour the city and find the locations we need. Stu and Auggie will be in the van roaming the city square listening for audio. Jai, Louis, you two will be at the local hotspots in San Marco Square with eyes out for Ishkoff._" Joan paused for a moment, "_Bring him in alive_."

Auggie ground his teeth and closed his eyes. No way would he bring Ishkoff in alive.

"_That's an order Auggie. We need him for interrogation and we need to find out what he knows about the other organisations_."

"He deserves to die." All three men looked towards their head of Tech Ops, never have heard so much anger seething out through his words before. His knuckles white as they fisted on the equipment in front of him.

"_Auggie, bring him back alive."_

"I'm can't promise that."

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><p>Everything was set to go ahead according to plan. They'd found Ishkoff's villa two streets off from the main square, but they hadn't any such luck with locating Ishkoff. Despite the lack of intel on him, Auggie knew that his gut instinct was right. They were in the right place at the right time. Stu drifted to a stop a good three hundred feet away from the main entrance to the villa in the grocery truck. Coming back he fell into pace with Auggie and raised the headphones over his ears, scanning through the radars for familiar audios. There was mindless banter from the festival goers as they roamed through the streets and the square in what Auggie could only assume was elaborate costumes and glittering masks. Auggie also knew that the White Shadow was probably amongst them, disguising herself in order to get a good position to get to Ishkoff.<p>

Not this time. They were getting there first.

"_You with me Auggie?"_ Jai spoke conversationally into his speaker.

"Through and through. What's happening?"

_"If he's disguised in one of these masks it's going to be tougher than I thought." _

Auggie felt like telling him to rip every mask off he could see in order to find Ishkoff, but he took a deep breath and reined it in, "Don't try for faces Jai, look for postures and body features. Try and match up anything you can to his appearance. Look for the conspicuous types, he's not an operative remember, he's here to be seen."

"_Got it Auggie."_

Communication ended after resulting in Auggie and Stu looking for needles in a hay stack with the amount of people they were scanning through. It wasn't for another two hours until Louis spiked up on the speaker.

"I've got Ishkoff in sights. He's on the move near the far east corner of the square outside the Al-Tonia Restaurant, two large men on his flanks."

"Stay on him, Louis. We can't just grab him from the Square. See where he goes." Auggie had stopped breathing the moment Louis reported in with news. Letting his breath out slowly he adjusted the volume control and turned his scanning to follow where Louis had seen Ishkoff.

"He's heading towards the Dell' Opera hotel. I can't get a hold of Jai.

Auggie could hear the swarm of people around Louis as he wiped his hand down his face. One of his eyes was M.I.A. and the other had only just enough experience in the field that could trump a techie, "Don't draw any attention to yourself Louis, just follow swiftly." Auggie pulled down his headphones, "Stu pull the van up into the alley closest to that hotel, I need better ears."  
>Auggie began tuning each of the channels trying to get a hold of Jai. It was usually standard of operatives losing or breaking their earpiece, but things were going to get messy if everything else began spiralling out of control.<p>

Auggie felt the van jerk, then begin rolling at a steady pace along the street. Before rolling to a stop. "Uh... Auggie? We've got a situation here."

Auggie turned his head towards the front of the van in Stu's direction, "What is it?"

"Road blocks, man. No traffic going in or out near the square."

"Damn it." He needed close to that building.

"What do you want to do?"

The back doors to the van swung open as Jai's intensely strong cologne wafted into Auggie's face. "Ear piece went out."

"Auggie focused intently in the direction of where he'd heard Jai's voice, "Louis is in the Hotel Dell' Opera tailing Ishkoff, I need an extra set of eyes and ears in there with him," Auggie turned his head to the side in order to speak to where he assumed Stu was, "Are the road blocks on the other side blocking the hotel?"

"Not that I can see."

"Head round to the back of the hotel alleyway." Auggie heard the back doors open and close shut as Jai headed back out into the night with a new ear piece.

Auggie felt the van swing around as Stu manoeuvred it out of the tiny street.

When the van came to a halt, Auggie turned in again to the surrounding banter than was echoing throughout the hotel lobby. Angling it slightly lifted the voices into a higher level, putting the speakers on the second level of the hotel. "Jai where are you in the hotel?"

"_Tenth floor, south corner."_ His voice was hushed and Auggie came to the conclusion that now was the time for zero communication if he wanted both operatives back in one piece.

A woman's voice echoed faintly through the speaker for the channel Auggie was listening to, and noticed the Russian dialect. Quickly switching the translation on, Auggie felt through the brail the words she had spoken. "_I've waited for this day, Ishkoff_."

Then he heard Ishkoff's voice in English, "_So have I."_

A series of gunshots echoed through the headset and Auggie switched his attention back to Jai, "Jai, what's happening?"

"_Ishkoff's heading down the fire escape."_ Auggie could hear his heavy breath as he ran about on the tenth floor. Then it struck Auggie. Ishkoff had already half way escaped.

Throwing off his head phones Auggie pulled out his can and folded it up, they were about a car space away from the back of the building where the fire escape was and he was the only person close enough with the skills to bring down Ishkoff. Jumping out against Stu's words of protests, Auggie quickly made his was towards the building, feeling around for the bottom of the grated stairs. This was probably the only chance they were going to get to finally have Ishkoff and he was damned if he was going to let him slip through their fingers.

Auggie stepped to the side and felt the light of the streetlamp fall away as he stepped into the shadows of the stairs. It was a moment before he talked the person to the ground that he noticed the thumping of feet coming down the stairs was too light for Ishkoff's build. He threw his entire body and crashed into the person who'd just about bounded down the stairs on dainty feet.

It was then he felt the slender figure beneath him and the light breath coming from the panting figure.

But what halted any further attack on the figure beneath him was the faint smell of Jo Malone grapefruit.

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><p>Next chapter up shortly. Please Read and Review - I need to hear your thoughts!<p> 


	3. Believe Me

I do not own Covert Affairs

Hi guys, thank you all soo much for your wonderful reviews!

Here's third instalment. x

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><p>Auggie was in such a state of shock that he wasn't able to deflect the blow that was issued to his right arm, causing him to fumble his grip as she flipped him over. She was off him in a flash as Auggie lay there utterly stunned.<p>

"Annie?" Auggie heard the retreating feet momentarily stop as he waited with baited breath. His heart was pounding as he pulled himself into a sitting position angling in the direction of where the feet had run off, wishing more than anything at that moment to have regained his sight.

"Auggie!" Stu's voice pierced the cold night air and then the sound of running feet pounded towards him, a moment before another set of footsteps ran off in the opposite direction.

"Annie, wait!" Auggie pulled himself to his feet and took a few steps in the direction of where he'd last heard the footsteps.

Stu grabbed his arm and angled him towards him, "Auggie, what are you doing?"

Auggie shook is arm off, "It was Annie, she was here!"

"Auggie, listen man, it could have been anyone. We've got more pressing matters at hand here. Jai has Ishkoff. He caught him in the emergency stairs inside the hotel."

Stu watched as Auggie turned his head in his direction, his breathing still heavy as he processed his words.

"We got him, Auggie."

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><p>Auggie had been restrained from the room where they'd kept Ishkoff as well as the section of the plane where he was being kept next to the fire marshal on the way back to D.C. Stu, Louis and Jai had attempted to convince him to let him live until they had him back at Langley, where they were able to interrogate him. The greater good speech was repeated countless times until Auggie gave up on struggling against the other operatives. He accepted the fact that this was not the time to take his revenge, especially when he had the three operatives blocking his every path.<p>

Auggie, Stu, Jai and Louis all stood in Joan's office for debriefing about the mission. Joan, sensing that Auggie was holding something back, waited for the others to leave before questioning him on the events.

"Auggie, you disobeyed deliberate orders. Orders that required you not interfere in the field work and remain out of play in the van with Stu. However, this mission was successful and we obtained Ishkoff. We got there before the assassin was able to take him out, and we need to be thankful to that. It will take some time to obtain the information Ishkoff is holding from us-

"Annie was there." Auggie cut her off abruptly.

Joan looked questioningly at Auggie, "You and I both know that's not possible Auggie."

"I tackled someone at the bottom of the fire escape of the hotel. It was Annie." Despite his efforts to dismiss any evidence that it was not Annie he had tackled at the bottom of the stairs, the shape beneath him and her perfume was hard core proof that she had been there. He'd sparred with her enough times to know her moves and her features, as well as his clear memories of how she held herself, to know that this person could have been no other than Annie Walker. Hell, he'd been the one to teach her how to break out of a pinned down position, and that's exactly what she'd used to break out of his hold. Her perfume has just a permanent fact that had edged itself into his memories, for him to still smell it, as if it was in front of him.

"Auggie, I know this has been a difficult situation for you-

"Do not tell me what I did and did not see that night. This isn't some hallucination from post traumatic stress, Joan. _That was Annie_. Do we even have hard core evidence she was in the explosion in the first place?" His anger and frustration directed towards his boss was evident in each of his words that past his lips.

Joan, knowing that she wasn't going to get anywhere with arguing with him, went over what she'd read in the reports of the explosion. "They found a few tissue samples."

"No bones or teeth? Fingers, limbs, anything?" He knew this already he was just clarifying the usual evidential pieces that are used in determining bodies in explosions.

"The barely found any remains of her sister and her husband and their children. Everything was ash to dust by the time they'd doused the flames, Auggie." This was just as hard for her to say it as it was to read it that day. However she kept her face stoic and her emotions in check. To have one of operatives, let alone one of her best, have their life ended in that way was more than traumatic for Joan. She wanted nothing more than to barge into the holding cell of the agency and beat Ishkoff to death with her bare hands. But even though she couldn't, she was more than willing to play hard ball in interrogation, preferably off the books.

"Think about it, Joan. The one person whose tracking down and taking out the ones responsible for the death of her family is the one person who'd have motive to do it, have the skills and knowledge to pull it off, and who'd do anything and everything they could to accomplish it. White Shadow is Annie Walker." Auggie's breath was heavy as his heart pumped fast beats through his veins.

There was a knock at the door before Joan could retort. Arthur's assistant Josephine stood with her head poking into Joan's office. "Sorry to interrupt Joan. Arthur needs to see you in his office when you're done here."

Joan nodded and looked back to the angered and desperate August who stood there with a resigned look on his face. Joan to a step towards him, believing that he believed it was true, but couldn't see the possibility of it actually being Annie in the field. "Auggie, if you truly believe this, then find me some hard evidence to support it. I can't run anything by as certain by just going off your instinct of this one. _If_ you are right, then we need to find her."

Auggie gave a stiff nod and headed out of her office.

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><p>Joan walked into Arthur's office without bothering to knock. She was the only one in his life who was allowed to stroll in unannounced, and that's what he loved about her. Arthur was standing facing the window that overlooked the west side of the agency.<p>

"You wanted to see me?"

Arthur turned at the sound of her voice but made no move towards her. Joan kept her face stoic but could sense something off about her husband. She knew she wasn't going to like whatever the reason he'd brought her into his office for.

"Have you been to see Ishkoff?"

"Not as such. I listened in on the initial interrogation but he remained loyal to his shared organisations." Joan remembered the smug look the bastard had on his face as he stared right through the one-way glass trying to pierce the glares he knew he was receiving.

He nodded and gauged her reaction before he spoke. "What news do you have on this 'White Shadow'?"

Joan eyed him before she spoke, "We've confirmed that she's a woman about 5'7, slender build. Nothing remotely trademark linked other than her skills in hand to hand combat are advanced and the bullet signatures are forever changing on her victims. August believes it to be Annie Walker." Joan wasn't planning to hide anything from Arthur if he ever asked about it, but the words on her tongue still felt wrong. Annie was gone, and it was the hard painful truth that she'd learned to live with.

Arthur nodded again, but his face turned to one of simple curiosity, "Why does Anderson believe its Walker?"

"The woman he tackled at the bottom of the stairs outside the hotel was wearing the same perfume as Annie once did. Auggie also has clarified that the woman's figure was the same of Walker's."

"I see." Arthur seemed to focus on nothing in particular as he pondered Joan's words.

"I think that despite Auggie's claims, we'll find out sooner rather than later."

"Why do you assume that?"

"If I was this woman and the C.I.A. got a hold of him, that would be the next stop in accomplishing her mission. We can't underestimate this woman in anyway. If she wants Ishkoff dead, then she'll find a way. She has gotten this far, I wouldn't erase her off our radar entirely."

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><p>Sorry its a little short, but next chapter up soon. Love to hear your thoughts<p> 


	4. Interrogation

I do not own Covert Affairs.

Here's the fourth chapter – I couldn't stop writing after that last chapter. Please Review

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><p>Joan mustered up her strength and reigned in all of her emotions as she walked into the interrogation room. She, like everyone else in her department had been waiting for this day for a long time, and now it was finally upon them. Feeling the watchful eyes of the C.I.A. operatives on the other side of the one way glass on her as she walked through the door, she wished for nothing more than to be alone with this man and be able to interrogate him in her own way. "Mr Vivaldi, I can honestly say it's with my great displeasure to have you sitting in that chair with a pulse."<p>

Ishkoff chuckled, "Well, what can I say. I sometimes have that effect on people. However it's wonderful to meet the wife of the famous Arthur Campbell," He looked straight at her as she kept utterly calm, "Yes, I know _exactly_ who you are."

Joan sat on the chair opposite of him and pulled it in close to the table, linking her fingers together on top of the table, "It's good to know we can skip painful introductions then."

It had dawned on her in that moment that this was a man who was well connected in order to know exactly who she was. Someone they had once underestimated as someone who could piece together information to find out the identities of C.I.A. operatives. Someone who had been able to find out who Joan's best operative was, and targeted her.

"That doesn't mean we need to cut out the pleasantries," His Russian accent laced thickly on each of his words. "From what I know of your reputation, you were quite excellent at protecting your operatives. Or so I thought."

"And from what I heard, so were you. By the way how are Sergei, Mishka, Doshcka and Augustus these days?"

He closed his eyes briefly with a small smile creasing his lips, "Touché Campbell."

"Mr Vivaldi, I'm going to make this perfectly clear. I'm going to ask you a series of questions that you are going to answer truthfully. If you do not, let me tell you that a life sentence in a maximum security prison in Siberia is a walk in the park compared to what we can do." Joan kept herself calm and steady as she spoke, making sure her words didn't reflect her boiling rage within her.

Vivaldi let out a breathy laugh, "Your threats mean nothing, Joan. I have connections _everywhere_."

"From where I'm sitting Ishkoff, your connections aren't much of a help to you as long as you're in our hands."

He leaned back into his chair and rested his cuffed hands in his lap "I don't expect to be in your hands for much longer."

"No I don't expect you will. I don't expect you'll have much of a pulse either." The fact that his lip quirked in a sharp manner indicated to Joan that he knew, just as much as she did, that it was no empty threat.

"You do not have the authority. My crimes aren't enough for death penalty."

"On the contrary Mr Vivaldi, your crimes can be linked to many of the recent terrorist attacks towards the United States in the last eight years. There is a hefty list of reasons that go against you living out the remainder of your life in prison, and point to the death sentence."

Joan saw as his eyes hardened but his expression remained in check, causing her to smile.

"A lot of people have been looking for you for a while, Ishkoff. Depending on how well you cooperate determines your fate."

Something pieced together in his mind as he slowly smiled, "But what remains a fact is that, what I know, is important to you. My information is the only thing keeping me safe at the moment. So no, I will not answer any of your questions." He leaned forward on the table, keeping eye contact with Joan, "I will not answer any questions until I speak to the one who's hunted down my associates. The one who's tried hunting down me."

Joan narrowed her eyes as his lips stretched revealing a gold filling in one of his back teeth.

"I believe you know her quite well, Agent Campbell." Despite her stone cold expression on her face, Ishkoff knew he'd spiked her interest, "She holds some quite extraordinary talents let me assure you; talents that allow her to escape death. The one you call Белый тень."

"English, Mr Vivaldi."

"Annie Walker."

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><p>Joan marched straight past Josephine's desk, despite her protests about Arthur being in a meeting with higher ups. Pushing open the doors, Arthur looked up from his desk as the other four suits followed his directions.<p>

"Excuse me gentlemen, but I have an urgent matter to discuss with Arthur."

Arthur acknowledged the flames in her eyes a moment before he nodded towards the gentlemen in front of him.

Joan kept her eyes trained on her husbands' as the men exited the office around her. Waiting for the door to close, she spoke in a calm but vicious manner. "How long have you known."

"I-

"Don't you dare say I don't know what you mean. How long have you known she was alive?" Her voice remained at a conversational volume, but the anger and betrayal laced each of her words.

Arthur looked at her steadily, "I've known since she killed Sergei Alekseev three two months ago."

"You lied to me."

"To keep you safe." Arthur looked directly at her.

"_To keep me safe?_ From what, Arthur? Finding out my operative was still alive?" She was visibly fuming at the moment.

"If anyone else had gotten word out about this, they would've believed that you were responsible for her actions. Your position at the agency would have been compromised."

"Is Annie another member of your black ops? Did you turn her into Ben Mercer?" How could he have done this to her? How could he have turned her best operative out into the cold, doing his dirty work as a rogue?

"No," Arthur's expression was intent as he spoke the word clearly. "I had nothing to do with her actions, but I couldn't let anyone in this agency be held accountable for what she was responsible for."

A faint metallic taste glistened on the back of her tongue at what he'd kept from her. She began slowly walking towards his desk, "You let me believe that Walker had been killed all this time. We do not keep things from each other, Arthur. As I said before, I am your wife who _works_ for the C.I.A., _not_ the other way around... you should have trusted me with this."

"I'm sorry." He looked straight into her eyes meaning every word, with every ounce of sincerity he had.

"I don't know if that will cut it this time, Arthur." Joan walked a few steps backwards and then marched out of his office, closing the door behind her.

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><p>It had been four days of futile searching through video footage from airports, train stations, ferry docks and other street cameras that Stu had looked through. Even though he found it impossible to believe Auggie's claims of Annie Walker being alive, he followed his boss's orders without questions. He knew better than to go up against him especially in this last year. When Stu heard through the line that Jai had Ishkoff, he'd hastily thrown his headphones off and headed out of the van only to see Auggie pulling himself up off the ground. When he'd called out Annie's name, Stu turned to see footsteps disappear around the nearest corner and out into the night. He hadn't had a good look, but he paid no mind as he hurried to his boss's side.<p>

There seemed to be simmering fury in the pools of his eyes as Auggie searched night and day through the networks for Annie. Stu didn't have the courage or the heart to tell him that he was wasting his time. However, in respect to his boss, Stu looked thoroughly through each of the videos in search of the deceased operative. There had been copious amounts of rumours circling around the assumption that Anderson had finally fallen off the deep end. The murmurs of Walker being White Shadow had all been quickly dismissed by the rest of the operatives working on the Ishkoff case.

It wasn't until the following Monday that Joan walked hesitantly into the tech department and straight to Auggie's office. The distinguishable stilettos that she wore were the first thing to clue Auggie in on the presence of his boss before she slid his office door closed with a soft click. He pulled his head away from the close proximity of the brail pad on the key board and looked in her direction.

"What is it Joan?"

Her heels clicked across the office floor as she came to stand in front of his desk. "I have something difficult to tell you... something that may or may not come as a shock to you."

He leant back into his chair, bracing himself for what she was about to say.

"You were right. White Shadow is who you said it was... Annie is alive."

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><p>Insert Dramatic music here.<p>

Thought I'd leave you with a predictable cliff hanger – lol.

Hope you liked it. I hope I still have my original readers still here

Please Review, Please Review, Please Review, Please Review!

Next Chapter up soon.


	5. The Entrance

Hi guys! Thank you for your wonderful reviews. They have inspired me to continue writing so quickly.

Quick note to **scubagurl22 **I've filled a few gaps that you may have felt were missing in Annie's off the radar tactics.

By the way: **Белый тень** is Russian for White Shadow. Sorry I didn't add that in as a side note in the last chapter.

Please enjoy, I hope you like it.

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><p>The only change Joan noticed in Auggie's expression, as she reported what she knew from the interview and from Arthur's secret about Annie's existence, was the hard clench in the muscles of his jaw. It seemed that the war that raged within him to be either relieved or undeniably furious was leaning further towards the latter. She couldn't blame him for his reasons as hers were quite similar. For them to believe she was dead all this time, while instead she'd gone rogue, was enough to ignite the short fuse in both of them.<p>

"That's all you know?" Auggie's voice was low as he fought hard to keep himself in one piece.

"That's everything I know." Joan waited for his rage to subside before he let out a slow breath and swiftly began typing along the computer. "Can you tell me what you've found so far?"

"As far as digging has gone, I changed directions on the search for her." Joan turned around as the screen at the front of his office clicked on, "If we put ourselves in her shoes, it's not likely that she wanted to be found. Although, why would we have been looking for evidence of her existence when she supposedly died a year ago."

"True."

"Where exactly were the take outs over this past year?" His fingers still drummed along the key board as he brought up the crossed out faces of Ishkoff's inner circle.

"Two in Turkey, one in Russia, and the other in Poland." Joan looked at each of the faces on the screen and the flashing red crosses that covered their photos.

"If they were all in Europe, she would've only had to cross borders, and with her linguistic skills, it doesn't surprise me that she's been able to keep under the radar with identification checks. The only trail we can visibly find is the trail of Ishkoff's deceased associates."

Joan pondered over the trail she had left behind, "She would've had to have flown over there in the first place. Can you sift through passports leaving the States around the time of the first death?"

"Already ahead of you, Joan. Three passport ID's came up that could possibly fit the bill," Joan watched as the passport's blinked onto the large screen. "There's a Mamie Stewart, registered to a Louisiana Address, a Maylenna Bashmet from St Petersburg, and a Sylvannia Yukshnoi from Berlin. None of the names have any-

"Wait," Joan studied the picture closely, noticing the lines and shapes of the features. "Bring up Bashmet."

Auggie Clicked twice and the picture on the screen enlarged until it filled the page. Joan took a step forward and took in the features of the picture. The narrow cheek bones were slightly off, and the dark auburn hair was slightly longer, but the eyes is what held Joan in place.

"Auggie, compare the characteristics between Annie and Bashmet. See if you can find a match." Before she'd finished speaking, Auggie's hands were gliding swiftly across the keyboard, bring the two photos up for the computer to cross examine. Joan looked between the lips, the slightly different cheekbones, and the brown to coffee eyes, on the screen in front of her. She looked closely and saw the features she'd managed to memorize over the two years Annie had worked for her. Despite her inner turmoil, she had to give her credit for her ability to disguise herself well enough to be considered a regular citizen and not raise any alarm bells.

A blinking strip of text flashed across the two pictures on the screen indicating 89% match. Joan felt her eyes slightly narrow and her lips form a tight smile as she confirmed the match. "89 percent, not bad on her behalf. Why didn't we see this before?" Joan turned Auggie and saw the stone cold expression edged into his features.

"Because we weren't looking for her."

Joan watched as his hands clenched in front of him, watching the white in his knuckles spread over. She took a step towards his desk, "Auggie, search for any other places this passport has come up. Maybe she's decided to come after Vivaldi."

Auggie whizzed his finger across the keyboard, the hard gleam still radiating off his form. His eyes narrowed slightly as he read the brail strip, "Maylenna Bashmet was on flight 815 from Moscow to Washington yesterday. It arrived at 2.13pm."

Auggie looked in the direction of Joan as she acknowledged his findings.

"She's here."

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><p>Every decision that she'd made, every path she'd taken had not prepared her for this moment. She never expected to be heading back to the one place she felt most at home. No matter what raged within her, and no matter what she had to leave behind to accomplish what she'd set out to do, she still felt the old flare within her as she looked at the large white arrangement of buildings in front of her. She knew that she would not be welcomed in open arms, and she would not be walking through these doors freely; the hand cuffs that were bound behind her back were a clear indicator of this. But she was not looking for a way back into her old life. She had one aim, one goal she had to finish... Ishkoff Vivaldi.<p>

_Annie huddled deeper into her fur layered coat as she trudged along the sidewalk near the rundown apartment buildings. She'd marched this side walk everyday for the past two days, scoping out in the apartments opposite, watching the passersby, and watching the routine of her target. She'd finally managed to track one of them down, his right hand woman as it were. She'd followed each of her movements within the apartment and out, grounding down her urge to attack her each time. She needed layout to accomplish this. The searing pain that snaked its way through her chest hadn't resided since she'd escaped the rubble a month ago. It still pushed heavily down on her every second of everyday, a constant reminder of the pain and damage these people had caused. However, instead of making her movements like she was running through thick mud, it pumped her adrenalin and pushed her strength past the limits she believed she had. _

_ When night fell over the streets, and the civilians huddled into the shelter of their homes, Annie was bounding agilely across the roof of the apartment she'd memorized for the past two days. She'd studied every entrance and escape route in and out of the place. She landed down on the ledge on the outside of the window with feline grace, and pressed herself into the shadows. The Russian voice radiated through the window as the woman spoke on the phone. Annie translated as much as she could from the snippets of conversation, enough to tell her that it wasn't Ishkoff on the other line... a food delivery service maybe. The voice grew louder as she walked towards the window a moment before she ended the phone call._

_ Annie made her move._

_ Grabbing the upper ledge of the window, Annie swung herself, letting her boots crush the glass, and crash directly into the woman on the other side. As soon as the woman had hit the floor, she'd rolled to the side out of instinct and rolled onto the balls of her feet, ready to protect herself from a second blow. _

_ Annie realised the woman had escaped being pinned down, and followed her momentum from when she crashed through the window, rolling until she turned and mirrored the woman's stance. Annie looked dead on at Mishka Olivanti and took in the unchanged delicate features she'd seen from their first encounter. Her white pixie cropped hair resembled the sharp angle of her narrow cheekbones, her thin lips stretched over neat dentils as her brown eyes darkened almost to pitch black as she recognised her assailant. _

_ "Annie Walker."_

_ "Mishka," It wasn't a greeting of sorts, more of a spoken acknowledgment. _

_ The next ten seconds that played out where in slow motion as Annie assessed Mishka's movements and attacks. Mishka was the first to move, grabbing the solid glass ashtray and hurling it across the room, narrowly avoiding the left side of Annie's head. As Annie was momentarily distracted by the attack, Mishka launched herself at her, tackling her to the floor of the apartment. Annie was once again on the lower hand of the fight as her head cracked down hard on the floorboards, disorientating her slightly, until a fist slammed into the right side of her jaw. Cracking her heel down onto Mishka's spine, Annie rolled them over and executed perfect blows into Mishka, face and sides. Taking the blows as they came, Mishka wedged her knees up and pushed Annie off her, sending her flying into the corner. Moving quickly across the floor to the bed, Mishka reached in between the mattress and pulled out her handgun, the silencer still in place. As she held the weapon out and swung it towards Annie, a ceramic lamp shattered over her arm, obstructing her aim and putting the bullet into the drywall. Annie landed a blow directly onto the joint of the elbow and snagged the gun as Mishka fell to the floor. _

_ Annie trained the gun in between her eyes as she stood over her, her breath heavy from the fight. Clicking the bullet into place, she saw the features of her target transform into pure hatred and spit at her feet. _

_ Annie contracted the muscles in her finger, heard the soft explosion from the barrel and watched Mishka's head snap back as her body slumped to the floor. _

_ It took all of three minutes to wipe down the apartment of her DNA before she slunk back out the window and into the cold air of the night, the gun concealed by her clothes. _

As Annie moved through the countries, tracking down those responsible, her movements became routine and her kills came more swiftly. After each kill she'd use a trick her father taught her from his time in the military; by running a rat tail file, otherwise known as a round file, down the barrel of the gun, it loses the ballistics marks and changes the signature of the bullet. Even though her name was deceased, Annie couldn't have any loose trails, leading authorities to her. She'd managed to blend in with the locals in most of the places she went, enabling her to keep a low profile, and talk her way through customs if anyone was to suspect her. As her take outs continued, word had spread through Ishkoff's close circle about the death of the other members. No one knew who it was who was taking them out, but it had them running as if the devil was on their trail. She saw it in their eyes as she took them out one by one.

Had she ever thought she was going to end up back here, she would've altered her decisions and gone after Ishkoff sooner. They didn't walk her through the main entrance of the office, no. To conspicuous. If she was to have any guess about who had orchestrated this, Arthur Campbell would be the top of her list. And as she sat down in the stiff plastic chair in the small room, that was the first person who walked through the closed door.

"Hello Annie."

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><p>Please, Please, Please Review. They mean more to me than you think<br>Next chapter up shortly


	6. Regret

Hi everyone! I'm so sorry it's taken me this long to upload this chapter. Juggling work with this long ass chapter has been a bitch. Also the fact that I kept changing parts of the chapter, and I don't think I'm fully satisfied with it. Thank you for those wondful reviews it inspired me to stretch this chapter out.

here you go, hope you enjoy!

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><p>Annie looked up at Arthur Campbell; his features still the same as she'd last seen him. His face was slightly unnerving as he gazed down at her, unblinkingly with a set gaze. A year ago she would've felt the urge to squirm underneath his gaze... times had changed. She no longer saw Arthur as her boss, she saw him as an equal. Someone who was holding her target as a prisoner. Someone who would use every advantage to obtain what he wanted. He moved over to the opposite side of the desk and sat down, unbuttoning the single button on his suit jacket as he did.<p>

"You've developed some Crafty Skills, Annie. You've fooled a lot of people in this agency... Hurt most of them too."

Annie briefly let her eyes close as she thought of her friends in the DPD... as she thought of _Auggie_. The sharp pang that withered within her reminded her of what she had left behind. _No_. She pushed aside her pain and sorrow, she had one thing to do, one thing to accomplish.

"Didn't fool you, though." She knew that from the get go. Seeing Conrad roaming the streets in Poland two months ago was enough to tell her that Arthur Campbell was on her trail. She'd hidden well and kept out of sight for three weeks, prolonging the moment before she went after Sergei Alekseev. She needed a clear shot at him, and not have Arthur's personal scout dogs interfere, or drag her away from her objective. She knew that the only reason she sat in this holding cell now was because it was the only choice she had in order to get at Ishkoff.

"Not until recently, no. Although I do admire your handiwork; it's good to see that you've put your training to work. Olivanti was your first, wasn't she?" His gaze never wavered from her face.

She gave a stiff nod. Despite his reasons to treat her like an enemy, she still held the utmost respect for Arthur Campbell. She wasn't going to give him smart ass comments that she'd perfected over the last years for the people who stood in her way.

"You were an extraordinary agent, Walker." The sincerity in his eyes was as clear as the light of day, "We both want the same things-

"No we don't." Her voice was hard and fierce as she cut him off.

He looked at her questioningly, "We don't?"

"Not from where I'm sitting. You want him locked up. I want him six feet under." Her control was starting to fray at the edges as she thought of the numerous amounts of reasons why Ishkoff Vivaldi should be dead. And it fuelled her anger within her knowing that he was in this building somewhere _still_ breathing.

"I know of your reasons Annie. I do. But Vivaldi has information that we need to stop others from achieving similar goals. You have to understand how important this Intel is to us. You used to be the best operative to gain us such information."

"Things change." Her voice had lost most of the fire behind them, as she spoke barely above a whisper. She wished for things to be different _every_ day. She wished she could still be out on missions, helping the C.I.A. She wished Auggie was in her ear every second of every day... She wished she could return home and find her sister and her nieces cooking in the kitchen. But she couldn't turn back time and she couldn't return to that life... Not with what had happened.

That night in Venice when she'd failed to eliminate Ishkoff, she'd barely escaped the gun fire. Running down that fire escape, visibly fuming, she wasn't ready to be crash tackled to the ground. She couldn't see his face in the darkness of the shadows as she unpinned herself and ran, but when she'd heard his voice... when he'd called her _name_, she faulted. Turning, she thought she was dreaming again, dreaming of seeing _him_ again... but it was real. _He_ was real, and he was standing only a few yards from her. The sound of another voice snapped her from the flash of pain and _longing_ that had flared up within her, and she bolted away down the narrow winding alleyway.

She couldn't let herself drown in the wants, needs and wishes that she'd kept hidden within her all this time. Not now. Not when she was _so close_.

Without warning Arthur pulled out a shining silver key and slid it into the hole that secured the lock to her handcuffs. Annie slowly pulled her hands free from the links and rubbed her wrists, "Thank you."

"You're welcome." She knew that it was a symbol of trust Arthur had just offered her. He trusted her not to be the type of person who would bolt for the doors or slam his head into the table in order to get at Ishkoff.

She wouldn't do that. She wasn't that type of person. She knew she was in a safe environment and there was no tension fuelling the conversation or the air surrounding them. Only frustration. She could almost imagine that they were simply sitting in his office up on the seventh floor talking about an op.

"Can I trust you Annie?" He spoke conversationally as he leaned away from the table.

"After everything I've done to the agency, Director Campbell, only a mad man would believe anything that came out of my mouth." She wasn't mocking him, and there was no bitterness to her words. She was merely stating that if she was in Arthur's position, she wouldn't trust her.

Arthur decided to get straight to the point rather than beat around the bush, "Ishkoff Vivaldi has negotiated that he will not reveal what he knows until he has seen you."

Annie's eyes narrowed as she looked at Arthur sceptically. This isn't the reason why he tried to track her down two months ago. "You wouldn't be telling me this unless you believed I would be able to restrain myself, and I don't think I'm capable of such a thing. If you let me in that room with him, only _one_ of us would survive." '_And you know it'_ was unspoken but they both heard it clear as a bell.

"I'm offering you a deal, Walker. If you go in there and you _both_ survive... I can find you a way to come back to the agency."

Annie swallowed hard. Her plan had only been one thing for all this time. She'd never looked past it and into what her future held. Her old life didn't seem to fit with what she had become, and she couldn't picture herself being the same person. She still wanted the same things, but she was no longer that person. She knew deep down within her that if she had a future ahead of her, the C.I.A. would be what she wanted. She looked back at Arthur steadily, searching for any slight indication that he was utterly serious about his words. She'd never known Arthur to be someone to go back on their word, but he was definitely the most notorious for finding the hidden loop holes in agreements.

"If you agree, it also means that you'll be able to walk freely out of this building."

Annie didn't know which one she was accepting to as she spoke, "I'll do it."

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><p>She was silently thankful that the hallway was empty, that this wasn't an area where other agents were casually strolling by... that this wasn't a hallway where she was likely to run into anyone she knew. The only people occupying the hallway were two guards flanking one of the two doors that lined the wall. An idiot would have been able to guess which one Ishkoff was being kept behind.<p>

Arthur had given her the rundown on what was going to happen. Annie was to walk in there with one of the guards supervising and let Ishkoff say whatever it was he had to say, and then Annie was to be escorted out, letting another agent walk in to obtain the information he was holding in exchange for a prison sentence. Annie had to stop herself from grinding her teeth as Arthur told her the final of the rundown. However, knowing she would have someone in the room with her, would most likely restrain her from carrying out her plan. She'd withheld her reluctance as she agreed, showing no emotion in her face as Arthur walked her through the door.

She'd burned his image into her memory since she'd first met him; he was built like an ex-military officer, with his white thinning hair covering the majority of his head, the grey stubble lining his chin, his sky blue piercing eyes and the small scar that ran along his hairline. He smiled as she walked in, escorted by the guard, revealing the gold filling on his back tooth. This was the man responsible for murdering her sister, Michael... Chloe and Catia. Innocent people who had no connection to anything that remotely disturbed Ishkoff's operations. It made her desire to kill all the more evident as she stared him down, her eyes never leaving his face as he turned towards the guard.

"No, no... Just. Annie." The guard looked over his shoulder back at Arthur who was standing in the door way. Annie did the same briefly. Arthur nodded and the guard walked back out, taking his position against the side of the door. Had Arthur lost it? He'd just openly given Annie what she'd wanted; alone in a room with Ishkoff. Her opportunity was at hand. Arthur nodded at her and closed the door.

She kept her eyes on the closed door, knowing that if she took one further look at him, she'd act without thinking. Her options remained a constant reminder in the front of her mind. She had been set free of her reigns; she had the chance to act _now_. She turned her head slowly towards Ishkoff, his eyes gleaming with humour as he looked her over. Ishkoff kicked the chair on the other side of the table, letting it slide towards her. She ignored it and stood next to it. Settling on attempting to retrieve the Intel first, and do Arthur's favour, Annie stood there, her stance attempting to conceal the muscles tensed for a fight.

"Annie." The way he said her name sent sparks of flame through her veins.

She did not speak his name in fear of breaking through her crumbling restraints. It killed her knowing that they had spent a minute in each other's presence, and she couldn't attack him.

He studied her form in a quizzical manner, "It's unfortunate to know that my mistake is what cost me the lives of my friends." He seemed almost disappointed in himself.

"I had to repay you somehow."

"Ah yes, you're sister and her husband, and your nieces," Annie's fist clenched as her skin stretched tightly over her knuckles. He spoke in a bored manner, "I can honestly say that they weren't the real targets. You, my dear were meant to be the beginning."

"Beginning of what?"

"Of the rest who were meant to follow you. Do you really think that I would go to so much effort in order to only uncover _one_ name from the agency?" He stared at Annie as if she was entirely incompetent. "You were meant to be part of the many C.I.A. operatives that were to be burned before they were killed. You were more of the test run; see if we could actually find out the background of one of an agent." His eyes raked over Annie's body, "Althoug, I do regret cancelling out such a beautiful creature. I like the new hair colour."

Annie felt the fire spreading throughout her body, begging to be unleashed, "You don't have anything. You would have used it by now."

"On the contrary my dear, it was hard to formulate a plan when the ones who were helping me were constantly dying. But if you think I'm bluffing?" He tilted his head to the side as though he was looking through memory, "Joan Campbell, Stewart Griffith, Jai Wilcox, Louis Cater, and what was the other one? I wrote it down somewhere" He'd ticked off each of the names on his cuffed fingers. "Ah yes, ...August Ander-

In a blur of movement, Annie's leg kicked the empty chair making it slide across the room and wedge itself under the door handle. The faint yells and banging on the other side of the door were barely registered by Annie as she took one step towards the desk and kicked it as hard as she could with the other foot. The table slid backwards into the wall, taking Ishkoff with it. His chair however, had skidded at an angle letting the desk pin him against the wall by his throat. This was the perfect moment, the perfect position for her to carry out her mission. Annie rested her hands firmly against the edge of the desk, ready to shove at any moment.

His face turned slightly flushed as he futilely attempted to wriggle upright. All Annie could see was his mocking smile through a window of red haze. "You and I both know you won't kill me, Annie." His words were slightly wheezing as they escaped his lips, "You need to know what I know. How I came across this information."

"Or I could just kill you now." The banging on the other side of the door continued as her fingers twitched on the table edge. His eyes were frantic as they looked up at her, the beads of sweat starting to roll down from the scar on his hairline. His smile grew as his face continued to spread to a darker read.

"I'm not a fool, Annie. Don't you think I would've been smart enough to have backups?"

Annie stared him down.

He could feel her indecision in her actions and let out a breathy laugh, "You know more than anyone that I'm telling the truth about having valuable information. And we both know that old habits die hard."

Annie knew that he was reflecting on her time in the agency, serving her country and doing whatever it took to serve the greater good. No matter how hard she fought within herself, he was right. The needs of the one outweighed the needs of the many. He'd taken everything from her; her family, her life, and now the only people left who meant anything to her; the people she'd left behind in order to protect. What Ishkoff did to her, only proved that he was able to get to anyone she held close. It was one of the other main reasons she left what remained of her life behind; she didn't expect to survive if anyone else she loved came into harm's way because of her.

It took every ounce of restraint she had left within her as she ground her teeth and leaned in close to him, "Go to hell."

She leaned away from him and gave the desk a hard pull backwards.

Ishkoff's chair rocked back onto its four legs and he slumped over drawing in large gulps of breath. "I knew you didn't have it in you."

With a shaking hand, she swallowed against her rage and slid the chair out of the way. The guards filed in swiftly and pulled her out and away from Ishkoff. Annie let the guards haul her out into the hall way, knowing that Ishkoff wasn't going anywhere. She'd get her chance at him, it just wasn't today... Even if it was the last thing she ever did.

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><p>Auggie stomped up the stairs of his apartment. He'd only just come to terms with the fact that Annie was alive and real when Joan had walked into his office that afternoon...<p>

"_She's here Auggie." Auggie lifted his head up from the computer and stared directly at Joan with unblinking and slightly unfocused eyes. They had Annie?_

_ "Arthur has been in the holding room with her for about an hour now. He wants her in with Ishkoff." Her tone was soft, worried that she was about to unleash Auggie's concealed emotions and have him raging through the office, demanding to see her._

_ Auggie wiped his hand over his face and leant back into his chair with a resigned look on his face. "Why are you telling me this?"_

_ "I'm heading down to look in on the interrogation; see how she fares with Ishkoff. They've asked if you'd like to join me."_

_ Auggie leant forwards and began drifting his hands effortlessly across his key board. "No thank you," He wasn't ready to face her just yet._

As he neared his apartment door, his entire body felt exhausted from all the knowledge he'd found out over the past few weeks. Annie turning rogue, and fending for herself against those who turned her life upside down, left him feeling tired and closed off. Her letting him believe that she'd been lost to him all this time was enough to drive him into the darkest corners of his being and remain there, not ever wanting to face the harsh reality of what this whole thing had created. As he slid his apartment door open he realised that no matter how hard he ran, he knew it was inevitable to escape it.

"From the very first time I met you, I knew that you'd cause irreparable damage" He couldn't withhold the heaviness from his voice as he slide his apartment door closed. The slightly tainted air of the room immediately told him that she was in his apartment. He knew she would've come to see him eventually, "Somewhere along the way I had a feeling that I'd be the one caught in the cross fire."

Every fibre in her being screamed at her to run to him, to simply feel him close to her. His brown tousled hair that almost brushed his eyebrows, his deceivingly gentle hands and arms that had pinned her on countless occasions during training, his deep brown eyes that seemed to see through her completely... She swallowed back the lump in her throat, keeping her voice neutral "You're angry. That's good. It'll make this easier." Better he hate her, than dead.

"_Easy_?" Annie instantly regretted her words. "You think that letting me believe you were dead for a _year_ was _easy_? You think that, standing here, after all this time is _easy_?" The disbelief and anger at her words radiated through him causing his muscles to tense and his jaw to clench. He took a step in her direction, "I went to your_ funeral_. I laid white lilies on your tomb stone, and listened to the minister ramble on about how you were at peace... you think that was _easy_?"

Annie shivered from the ice in his tone. She knew she didn't deserve anything less. "I didn't come here looking for forgiveness, or for you to want anything to do with me. I just needed to see if you were-

"Okay?" Auggie let out a humourless chuckle, "You lost the right to know that the day you left. The day you decided that you'd let me believe you were _dead_." He gave her a tight lipped smile with a hard edge in his eyes, "But just to put your mind at ease... I'm just peachy."

Annie swallowed the reformed lump and blinked back her tears, trying to keep her voice steady, "I left because I had to. I thought-

"That's the point, _Annie_. You didn't think!" His fists clenched tight at his sides. "Did I really mean that little to you?" The pain and confusion swept over his features as he stood their looking directly at her.

Annie had come here wanting to put him at ease. To have him let go of her and she he, once and for all. She couldn't be close to people anymore; they only caused her more pain and anguish. But from the moment he walked through that door, the moment she saw his face, all the walls she'd perfected over the time away, began to shake. She thought that she could cut it all out, _everything_; function entirely without the weakening emotions. She thought that seeing him in Venice was hard. Seeing him now, being this close to him, feeling his pain and anger bursting from him... she should've known, should've listened to herself. This had been a bad idea coming here. She'd missed him more than anything, and it was killing her knowing she'd hurt him.

"You mean everything to me."Her voice was barely above a whisper, no strength left in it. He brushed the bridge of his nose with his thumb, his defences up strong and tall, "You've a funny way of showing it."

"I don't expect you to understand why I did what I did. But no matter what you believe, I did what I had to." She cast her eyes downward, thinking about Danielle, "Knowing they were able to get to me, proved they could get to anyone. I wouldn't have survived if someone else I loved came to harm... I'm not that strong."

Auggie's voice was fiercely disbelieving as he spoke, "Is this what this is all about? Don't even think about pulling the protection card on me, Annie. We both know that what you did was based purely on revenge."

Annie kept her eyes downward as she spoke, "I won't deny that what I'm doing is for revenge. If I had any belief that I could accomplish what I wanted through the agency, that it wouldn't turn into a mess of bureaucracy, that the people I cared for weren't in danger, I would've done things differently... I didn't want anyone else hurt from my mistake."

"No, Annie. You did what you did knowing you were never planning on surviving it." Auggie could feel the skin over his knuckles straining as he fought for control. His voice was barely maintaining its hold over his rage and pain.

"I lost everything that day, Auggie. My family, my life, my name, who I was... _Everything_." Annie didn't have to say anymore; he was right, she didn't want to survive it. She still didn't... and they both knew it. Despite Arthur's proposal, she was still set on achieving what she'd set out to do. She wouldn't rest until Ishkoff was six feet under. She glanced back up towards Auggie, wishing more than anything she could take his pain away, "I am sorry I hurt you."

"_You ripped me apart_!" His voice screamed with all he felt, with everything he'd felt since that fateful day a year ago. He'd stupidly let himself feel something for someone, only to have it thrown in his face. He hated her for making him _feel_, for making him _care_,_ for crushing him into pieces_. He hated that she stood in front of him after all this time, and not feel. That she was still closed off from him... And he hated more than anything that he _still _cared, that every fibre in his being ached for her... that he felt something stronger than he'd felt in years. "Losing you was the hardest thing I've ever had to go through."

A tear slipped silently down Annie's cheek as the emotion in his words penetrated her soul. She didn't wipe its trail as it continued down and dropped off her jaw. She deserved this... and he deserved so much more. Pulling herself up to a straighter stance, Annie knew what she was about to say would finally break her, and tear her into a thousand pieces, "I came here to tell you that I'm not going to hurt you anymore. All I've done is hurt the people I love... and I can't do it anymore."

Annie let a second tear escape as she began walking towards the door. She felt the lump in her throat shake as her body threatened to crumble right then and there, her legs shaking with each step. Turning her back on Auggie was the hardest thing she could ever do; it was as though she was reliving the death of her sister all over again. But it was what he deserved. She'd caused enough damage with her actions and these were the consequences she was meant to face.

She was a step away from the door before a hand wrapped around her waist, spinning her around to face two dark brown depthless pools. "Stop giving up! It's all you've done, and yet you still do it."

Annie dropped her head, not being able to look at him without shattering herself entirely.

His voice dropped in to a lower tone, "12 months, three weeks, and two days you've been gone" he pressed her into the wall behind her, holding her captive as his hand held her waist tight, the other pressed against the wall blocking her in, "That's three hundred and eighty-six days, and thirteen hours that you've been running."  
>His hand came down and lifted her head up, his eyes looking directly into hers, giving her no doubt that he could see her. Her breath shook at having him so close to her. Her strength to walk away from him was quickly disintegrating.<p>

"And I'd be damned if I let you walk away from me now."

Her words were lost on her lips as he swooped down and caught her in a searing kiss. All of her strength flew out the window as her world came crumbling down, her knees buckling beneath her. Auggie sensed her weakening state as her bottled emotions erupted to the surface. He wrapped his arm behind her waist, his other hand cupping the back of her neck as he pressed their bodies further into the wall. His lips were demanding and controlling as she fell prisoner to them. Tangling her hand in his tousled locks, the other winding around his back, she returned his kiss with ferocity and heat that built within her, spreading through her entire body to the tips of her fingers. She let a small moan escape as his tongue swept past her lips, tasting her.

There was still anger towards her as he pressed his body into hers, letting her feel _all_ of him, invading her space completely. No matter what she'd done to him, he could never hurt her. He needed her like he needed air. She took whatever he gave her, fuelled by his emotions she clung to him as their kisses turned feverish. Her hands tugged at the hem of his shirt until they came into contact with the smooth rippled stomach beneath it. Auggie shivered involuntarily at her touch as her hands roamed over the tightly wound muscles.  
>Auggie reluctantly let go of her lips, letting them both catch their panting breaths, his forehead resting against hers. Annie gasped as she saw the swirling brown pools looking directly into her own. Her entire body was locked in his gaze, fading fast into the overwhelming emotion that was radiating from those eyes. So it surprised her when her voice took control and whispered softly, "I love you so much it hurts."<p>

Auggie's hands came up and moulded to her drenched cheeks, all anger and rage vanished from his movements. It almost had her tears spilling over again as he brushed the tear tracks with a feather lightest touch, holding her face so incredibility gently as though it was made of glass. Tilting her head gently, he brought her lips to his; softly capturing them in a slow sensual kiss, showing Annie, rather than through words, exactly how he felt. Despite her best effort, another tear escaped as his lips moved over hers. The intensity of pain and love dissolved into one as he pulled her away from the wall and into his arms, never breaking the kiss.  
>He moved them through the apartment, barely jostling the kiss until Annie felt her legs hit the edge of the bed. With excruciating slowness Auggie lowered them both to the bed, his arm resting beside her barely letting Annie feel his entire weight, as his other hand slowly trailed down her side. As his hand lightly brushed the strip of exposed skin at the edge of her shirt, Annie gasped and shivered at the feel of his hands on her skin. His lips left hers and began an enticing trail along her neck and up to the sweet spot near her ear, a burning sensation stirring low in her belly. Annie wrapped her legs around his waist and was rewarded with a low groan from Auggie as he his weight press into her, letting her feel his arousal.<br>All tentativeness vanished as their clothes were strewn aside as Auggie revealed to Annie just how much he needed her here with him, how much he would give just to have her in his arms... How much he truly loved her.

* * *

><p>Plenty more to come... There's a few loose ends that need tying up.<p>

I'm sorry to those if they are disappointed with the chapter. Your reviews are still welcome!  
>Thanks for bearing with me this far. <strong>Please Review<strong>! 


	7. Houdini

Wow! I can't believe the powerful responses I got for that last chapter! I cannot express just how thank you I truly am. I was blown away from the amount of encouragement.  
>I'm sorry I didn't upload sooner, this chapter was harder than I expected. But it'll be worth it if it satisfys all you wonderful people.<p>

Okay, here it is. The next installment. Hope you Like!

* * *

><p><em>The explosion had been deafening, the floor had rolled like a wave, and then suddenly Annie was thrown backwards. Debris flew like a string of arrows slicing through her arms, legs and cheeks, as she flew through the air and crashed into the dry wall and crumbled to the floor. The remains of the wooden panels and crushed bricks came crashing down around her as small balls of flames fell around her. Coughing and spluttering erupted from her lungs as she heaved the remains of her guest house away from her. As she stumbled to stand, she squinted her eyes through the dust and saw the blazes of flame licking their way over the crumbled remains of the once connected house. Ignoring the searing pain that covered her body from the graze marks of the debris, and the blood seeping from the wounds, Annie made her way through the rubble towards the burning coals of where the kitchen once stood. The only sound that penetrated her ears was the rapid thundering of her heart and her panting breath. There was nothing left. No walls or furniture. No stairs climbing to the girl's bedroom. <em>Nothing_. Then she saw it. Then she saw them. Or what remained. _

_ In the midst of the burning rubble, the blackened remains of a torso lay in pieces, letting the wild fire crackle what was left of the burnt flesh into ash. Frozen to the core from shock, Annie glanced to the side and saw two smaller forms in the same state, their body parts in pieces, bubbling from the heat of the flames. Her lungs burned like the fire around her as the horrifying scream ripped from within her. _

Her eyes shot open, dissolving the images of the smoke and searing flesh, transforming into the shadows of darkness that filled Auggie's bedroom. This memory had plagued her dreams almost every night since it happened, leaving Annie feeling the same horror and excruciating anguish that rocked through her that night. In the beginning she'd awoken to her own screams of torment in remembrance from that night, and countless times more she found herself wrenching her guts up into the closest bathroom. But as time moved on, and she sought out her revenge, the uneasy stomach and the blood curdling screams had begun to cease... but it never halted the painful clenching in her chest and the tears that followed. For she knew the dreams would forever haunt her.

Auggie had awoken the moment she'd whimpered her sisters' name and then felt the small convulsions as her silent tears rocked through her. He winced at the pain and loss that was radiating from her and he couldn't help but feel her emotions as his own as he thought back to the first few weeks she'd been gone from him. A breathless sob escaped her restraints that pushed him over the edge.

A warm strong arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her back against a solid form, radiating heat and comfort. Annie let her walls crumble and let her sobs break through as her tears streamed down her cheeks like Niagara Falls. Holding onto him like a life raft, she barely felt him jostle her as he rolled her to him, cocooning her into a tightly wound ball against him. She was too scared to close her eyes once again in fear of the images that had burned their way into her mind, and would remain there until her last breath was drawn. The fact that these images were a reality, and not just some nightmare, let loose louder sobs and cries from within her.

He knew without her telling him that she'd dreamt of Danielle, of that night, countless of times over. And he knew that, no matter how detached she portrayed herself, no matter how wound tight she kept her emotions, she had crumbled hundreds of times before this night. His arms were iron as they held tight as her body convulsed from anguish. Auggie pulled the blankets up around them and held onto her as she rode out her pain and torment until she fell asleep from exhaustion.

* * *

><p>Annie woke to the bright rays of sun that cascaded through the windows and poured over the bed sheets. Her eyes and chest stung from exhaustion as she adjusted herself to her surroundings. As she pulled her hands down to wipe her face, she heard the sharp rattling of metal on metal, and a tight constriction around her wrist. Panic was the first of her emotions to trigger as she instantly went on alert and looked up to see her right wrist bound by a set of cuffs that were attached to the bed frame.<p>

"Morning," Annie's eyes snapped over to the no longer bed mused Auggie, leaning on the edge of the door frame to the connecting bathroom. His hair was slightly tousled and his eyes held a small hint of humour as he stood there perfectly dressed, while she lay there bound in his dishevelled bed sheets wearing nothing but her underwear.

Annie rattled the cuffs that bound her, "Didn't peg you the type, Auggie." Her voice was slightly husky from the sleep but she knew that this wasn't a playful sex scheme. She hadn't expected to be literally chained to the bed, but she should have realised that he wouldn't have let her back out into the world attempting another chance at Ishkoff. Not after he'd heard her last night. Not after he witnessed the horror and pain she'd kept to herself all this time. Everyone knew her motives, but no one had seen the extent and damage it had caused her from losing her family. No he had, and she was stupid enough to let her guard down... she should've seen something like this coming.

"Couldn't have you running again, could I?" Annie noted as he patted his pants pocket. His smile was light but his eyes had a hard gleam to them.

"Don't do this, Auggie," there was nothing left but utter seriousness to her voice as she stared over to his relaxed form. She wouldn't be kept here like this. There were still things she had to do.

Auggie sighed, his features laid thick with what had been reflected in his eyes, "Fool me twice, that's on my own stupidity. I can't have you disappearing into thin air again, Walker. And I can't have you locked up by the C.I.A."

"Isn't that what you're doing?" She couldn't stop the smirk from peeling over her lips at his irony.

"I'm not doing this for the C.I.A's benefit, I'm doing it for yours," Auggie felt her contradicting glare, "...okay, mine."

"So you're just going to keep me here, locked up like a prisoner?" Her tone was layered with disbelief at his actions.

Auggie pushed himself off from the door frame and walked over to the bed, the mattress creasing as his knees lowered him onto it, "A prisoner is someone who does _not_ wish to be held captive and bound." A slow smile curved his lips as he hovered himself over her.

"And I don't?" Despite her current predicament, her words left her lips in a breathless state as she looked up at him above her. Somehow, being bound with him hovering above her, left her breathless. Memories of earlier in the night invaded her mind, of Auggie's lips on her skin, sent her pulse racing.

A throaty chuckle escaped his lips, "For someone who does not wish to be handcuffed to a bed, you're doing a shockingly bad job at keeping yourself in check," the tips of his fingers trailed slowly down her side, feeling her shudder at his touch, "Your body's a terrible liar."

Her skin was on fire wherever his hands roamed, his lips trailing a searing path down the side of her neck and collarbone. "Keeping me chained to your bed isn't-"Her words were cut off as his lips found hers.

Auggie felt the moment her fight gave in as her movements relaxed into him. He smiled into the kiss as her felt her free hand wrapped around him, pulling him closer to her. Her hand tugged his shirt free and ran her fingers over the planes of his stomach. Auggie moved his lips from hers and began kissing along her neck, "You're enjoying this too much for someone who doesn't wish to be bound, Annie."

Annie trailed her hand lower, brushing her fingers along the outside of his leg, "Being bound has its limits... two hands are better than one." Her breath brushed across his ear as she whispered the words. Two could play his game.

Auggie barely contained his groan at the effect her words and movement had on him. He pushed away the urge to obey her request and smiled into her skin as he realised her tactics, "I wouldn't have been so quick to judge what type I am."The images of what he could be doing to her, tied up like this, rolled through his mind. "Nice try, by the way," He reluctantly pulled himself away from her and moved off the bed.

Annie fought the protest at the loss of contact and made herself catch her breath, "It was worth a shot."

Auggie had to mentally shake himself from the image of her lying only a few feet from him as her uneven breath sounded in his ears. He turned away from her as he tried to maintain his own rhythm of breathing. Whatever beliefs he had thought about winning a round of seduction with Annie before hand, he was surely mistaken. His hard smile lifted the corners of his lips as he mocked himself of ever thinking he could come out unscathed of that situation. He took a step away from her, towards the hallway... she was definitely going to be _pissed_ when this day was over.

"I'm going to get at him eventually, Auggie. You can't keep me here forever." Annie called down the hallway as she watched him walk away. He couldn't delay the inevitable.

"Sure thing, Houdini." He chuckled at the frustration and anger that was shot at his back as he opened the front door.

The ghost of Auggie's chuckle echoed back down the hallway towards her as the front door clicked shut. _Houdini eh?_ Annie eyed the tiny silver key in her fingertips... _He had no idea._

* * *

><p>Arthur looked at the screen in front of him, watching as Ishkoff Vivaldi sat relaxed in the chair, a smug smile tugging at his lips. What did the bastard know that he wasn't telling them? Arthur had been through the Intel and his file some many times over, he knew the contents like the back of his hand. A man so devoted to his duties to his country turned traitor and ally to different mixed organisations set on destroying their enemies. That he could comprehend. But his connections that led to the information of secret agents of the US government? That was something he could not piece together. How did someone who had remained so far from government Intel, obtain classified information on US government agents in the C.I.A., and who knew who else? There had to be someone on the inside. Vivaldi was only one of many examples who had been easily swayed to betray their country; it only further spiked Arthur's suspicions that someone on their side would do the same. A knock sounded on the other side of his office doors, "Come in."<p>

The door swung open and Joan walked in. Arthur sighed at the formal entrance of his wife. She had been blunt and cold towards him since their last private talk, their work hours purposely overlapping on her behalf, so they wouldn't run into each other outside of the agency. She had every right, but despite his intentions to keep her reputation held within the agency of Walker's existence, Arthur knew he'd made the mistake to keep his cards close to his chest about the whole thing. And he'd been paying for it ever since. "You wanted to see me?"

"Annie Walker is here. Thought I'd let you know before I sent her to you're office."

"Nice to know you decided to tell me." He could hear the double meaning in her icy tones, and let his eyes briefly close at the regret that flared up within him.

"Vivaldi hasn't provided us with anything new. Or anything we didn't already know."

"I'm surprised you expected him to. He knows the agency's squirming about not having his information, and he won't let up until he has no cards left to play. What's your move?"

Arthur sighed, "There's nothing else we can do. The protocol is to send him off to prison and I'm forced to comply with the agency's methods. I'm hoping he'll squeal what he knows when he finds out we're not keeping him. Annie is of some value to us, since her return. She has dedicated her existence to tracking this guy... she's the only expert we have on this. I'm not expecting anyone to reel her back in like nothing ever happened, but she proved yesterday that the oath she took for this agency is still in her morals."

Joan nodded. "Is that all?"

Arthur wanted her to drop her defences and break away from the coldness that radiated off her, but knew her better. He reluctantly nodded. She turned to leave, "Joan?"

She turned back to him.

"Don't hone in Walker on this, we need her working with us on this. Best she doesn't go rampaging off again."

Despite the urge to do the petty thing and go against his wishes, Joan knew that Annie knowing that Ishkoff was soon to be in the warden's custody would predictably take a turn for the worst.

* * *

><p>"Send her in."<p>

Annie slowly walked through the door and stood far back from the desk of her old boss. Joan was standing off to the side of her large desk, her stance ramrod straight and her features showing no flicker of any personal connections to her old agent. The only thing Annie comprehended was the faint glimmer of betrayal in her mentor's eyes.

"I tell you, Annie, you standing here breathing was not something I was to expect a few weeks back. And I still haven't decided if its welcomed." Her voice was cold towards her.

Annie felt herself slightly flinch under the harsh words, but knew that she'd never expected an open arm return.

"Do you know how much man hours were spent searching for your supposed killer? I won't say that it was wasted, but I feel as though the motivation behind it was. You betrayed your country and you've also betrayed me."

Annie felt a small spark flare within her, "If you had been in my position, you would've done anything you could have to-

"to achieve something that was achieved through the agency?" Her composure tore slightly as Annie tried to defend her actions, "You betrayed everyone who stands for what this agency was built upon."

Annie knew from her words that she was regarding Auggie and herself. She couldn't deny that, even though Joan kept her distance and upheld her position as the head of the DPD, they had shared a bond through Annie's achievement during her time in the agency. They'd developed a sort of kinship. A bond of trust and respect. Annie no longer felt that between them.

"I won't deny that what Vivaldi did to you was something that had every right to receive vengeance, but what you did to me and you're friends was something I never expected you to do. Not willingly. I can see that I was wrong. You're lucky you're not being treated like him, being held in the same cell."

"Do it." Annie's determination flared strong within her. She relived the torment he brought upon her every waking moment of everyday. She'd held back once before... she wouldn't think twice the second time round.

Joan watched as the person in front of her changed from one of passive acceptance of her consequences, to a person she'd envisioned had been driven all this time to seek revenge. Joan understood Annie's reasons to do what she did, despite her dislike of it. And she knew that despite Annie's short years working for the agency, she held the fire and determination that would even out trump Christopher McCauley. Joan had never underestimated Annie's capabilities, but the person who stood in front of her was someone Joan had never wanted, nor wished to see, in any of her agents eyes; especially that of Annie's. The psychotic coals that blistered in her eyes were the cause of a life altering experience that drove people into the paths that were blinded by a hate so powerful, they were willing to throw their lives down for the cause.

"Put me in that cell with him. I'm no longer of service to the agency and I've always known that I was expendable here... two birds, one stone."

"Don't waste your breath, or my time, Annie. You know just as well as I do, that we can't do that." Joan kept her tone as though nothing had happened, the ice still clear in her words. Though she knew that Annie was never expendable, even though the agency's original reasons for her adoption into the C.I.A. "I would rather have you out of this building and never darkening my door way again, but the information you may have gathered whilst tracking him is of service to us."

Annie had been suspecting as much. It was one of the reasons that she'd suspected Arthur Campbell had attempted to bring her in. She nodded.

Joan took a step towards her, "However do not assume that just because the agency requires your cooperation, no one has swept what you've done under the rug. Even if you prove to everyone you can be trusted, and you have your reasons for your actions... I cannot forget what you have done."

* * *

><p>"What is it, Stu?" Auggie had felt his studying gaze trained on him for the last hour. Had Stu forgotten who he was trying to deceive?<p>

"I'm just saying man, you look better than you have in months. There's still the dark cloud over your head, and your still-

Stu's babbling immediately halted and before Auggie could question his reasons, he noticed that there was no longer any conversation throughout the bull pen either. He knew there were people down there, but the baited breaths and tense atmosphere hit him as hard and fast as a moving train.

"No. Way." Stu's whispered words were shared with a few others as two sets of clicking heels made their way through the desks in the office. The whispers were one of the same as Stu's and Auggie felt his old haunt rise within him cursing the day that he lost his sight. The only person that could have caused this kind of response in the DPD was...

Auggie patted down his left pants pocket and dug his hand in, only to have it come out empty. His eyes closed as he realised his mistake and who had triggered this kind of response in the office. The faint waft of her perfume only confirmed as much as the clicking of heels walked into his office. _Damn_.

A clinking of a small metal object hitting the glass on his desk was the first sound to break the silence, "Never underestimate me, Anderson."

Houdini. _Damn_.

There you go, another chapter.  
>If you have any quiries with the chapter, I'll do my best to help you understand it better. <strong>Please Review! It's all welcome!<strong>


	8. Authors Note

Dear Readers

You have no idea how _absolutely sorry_ I am that I have not uploaded anything further on the 'white shadow' fanfic. The last year has been somewhat challenging and I am unbelievably sorry that I haven't been able to continue this story sooner. I am currently on prac experience for my uni subject for five weeks, but as soon as it is over I plan to continue writing this story. I'm sure I have lost a fair amount of followers but I would just like to say that your reviews have been incredibly inspiring and have brought back my enthusiasm for writing. Thank you all so _so_ much for taking the time to review my story and I would have given up on this story long long ago if it wasn't for your praise, criticism and general comments. They have all been welcomed.

Thank you all for bearing with me and I hope your wait isn't too much longer.

Love Alice xxx


	9. Caring Is Pain

_Annie scarcely heard the soft bell chime as she hastily pushed open the door to escape the howling blizzard behind her. Flakes of snow clutched to her enormous woollen coat and fur hat, as she unravelled her thick scarf, and removed her knitted gloves; a typical attire for the villages on the Hungarian border this time of year. Stamping her snow boots at the door, to rid the frozen mud from her soles, Annie subtly took in the decor of the Butcher shop. The skinned carcasses of cattle and boar hung behind the large heavy wooden table in the center of the room – the once light colour of the thick wooden table top, now a stained reddish brown from the years of meat and blood. Row upon row of carving blades were hanging low over the table, chiming gently as the blizzard air brushed across them. She'd never sought out her contacts in their own areas without knowing what the outcome would be. And she knew that her presence here would not be welcomed with gratitude or friendly smiles._

_ A low gruff voice called out in Hungarian from the doorway at the back of the shop, "Didn't you read the sign? I'm not open."_

_ The sound of the voice formed the picture of the man from her memory, she'd met once before. And if her memory served her right, this was not a man who responded well to disguises and bullshit. Annie called back out to him in his native tongue, "I'm here to speak to the man who owes me for the coffee in Bordeaux."_

_ A chair scraping across slate followed by heavy footsteps sounded from the room in the back, until the 6ft Frenchman was leaning against the door frame of the room. "Mademoiselle Walker. I can honestly say I'd hoped to never see you again."_

_ "Bonjour, Misere Dumont." Annie's memory of the well presented man, who'd pleasantly traded secrets to the C.I.A. over coffee, was thrown out the window as she took in the man before her. His height and build similar to a linebacker still served her memory right, but the black hair that was once slicked back was now a frazzled bird's nest, and the blood stained apron and torn shirt had replaced the Armani suit that he once wore. His hands that had delicately held a macchiato were now cut and callused, as they twisted the blade of a cleaver between them. But Annie knew exactly what kind of man she was dealing with on both occasions, despite his well presented disguise in France._

_ Annie caught the white of a scar that trailed from his ear disappearing into the collar of his shirt as he nodded towards the door, "Your men won't last long out there. Not that I have any intention of inviting them in." A small smile curled in the corner of his lips as the thought warmed him._

_ "You're in luck, Dumont. It's only me." Annie pocketed her scarf and gloves in her coat, idly noticing that the blast wounds covering her fingers had almost faded._

_ "Your kind isn't welcome here, whether your alone or not." He straightened and moved towards the carving table and stuck the blade of the cleaver solidly into the wood, studiously ignoring her._

_ "It seems clear that the agency didn't pay you well enough for your cooperation." She took a step towards him; keeping her eyes trained on him as he moved about the carcasses before slamming a bloodied leg down onto the table._

_ "What can I say, I lead a glamorous life." He effortlessly pulled the buried blade out from the table and began calmly shaving the meat in front of him, "I thought I'd finally steered clear from the C.I.A.'s radar."_

_ "Is that what you call this? An escape from the C.I.A.", Annie noted the harsh chuckle escape from under his breath, "or an escape from your brother?"_

_ The blade paused in its momentum as Alec Dumont narrowed his eyes, taking his attention away from the meat and looked up at Annie. Annie returned the levelled gaze already knowing that this would trigger his response. Alec's gaze turned critical as he subtly looked her over and she could see in his reflection that he had noticed the tissue scarring on her fingers and grazing on her cheeks._

_ He kept his features passive as he went back to the meat in his hands, "_Step_-brother. But you already knew that."_

_ "Considering your connection with him-_

_ "_Past_ connection. I no longer clean up his messes."_

_ Annie noted his current title of work, "You're still in the same line of business... just a different species."_

_ A cruel smile curled his lips, "True, yet I do miss the screaming." Annie couldn't withhold the small shudder that rolled through her spine. _

_ Alec cut off whatever Annie had been about to say and rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger, "Let's cut the rest of the pleasantries shall we? What is it that you want?"_

_ Her jaw set as she strained to keep herself collected, "Your step-brother. Where is he?"_

_ Alec swiped his hand down his face with a low chuckle, "You American's never listen. I told you once before that chasing after Ishkoff is playing with fire."_

_ Annie couldn't stop her mind from flashing the images behind her eyes. Before she could think any further about it, she dove into her coat pocket._

_ Alec's eyes followed her movements with a slightly offended and disappointed expression, "You know me better than offering money."_

_ Annie pulled out the documents from her coat pocket. She'd tracked down these a few weeks before, knowing that Alec wouldn't give her what she wanted for a small price. _

_ "What are those?" _

_ Annie rifled through them and held up a picture of a woman with blond wavy hair with delicate German features. _

_ Alec's cheeks flamed, "How dare you-_

_ "She's alive," Alec froze. "I will give you her last known location and alias if you tell me where I can find Ishkoff."_

_ His eyes darkened as they narrowed in on her, "Tread carefully, Annie Walker. Using her to bait me-_

_ "I am _not_ Ishkoff." Annie's teeth clenched as she spat his name. "Don't you think that if he really _did _find her, he would have bargained her life for your submission? He would have dangled her above your head until you did what he wanted you to do." The anger remained fresh on his features, but the incredulous expression began to fade as he processed her logic, "He never found her."_

_ "How do you know this?"_

_ Because she hadn't believed that the girl in the photograph was dead. If she had been snagged by Ishkoff, Alec would still be performing his services, and would have done anything asked of him in order to keep the person in the photo safe. She didn't underestimate Ishkoff's abilities in blackmailing. Annie held up the documents again, "Tell me where I can find him." _

_ He seemed to wager his options before he answered, his eyes flicking back and forth between Annie and the photograph "Siberia."_

_ Annie handed over the documents, watching as his eyes soaked in all the information from the pages, his eyes constantly returning to the photo clenched tightly in his fingertips. The thought that he could see his loved one again caused the slow simmer of her own loss to rise within her, making her work extra hard to suppress it. Once it was out in the open it would be almost impossible to box back up. She didn't think it would ever be properly boxed away. _

_ "I want you to do me a favour," His voice was grave and filled with almost as much hatred as she felt stirring within her. Alec Dumont had almost been subjected to the loss that she currently had at the hands of Ishkoff. "...Slaughter every single one of them."_

_ "Get me to Siberia, and it will be done."_

_ That same twisted smile curled his lips once again, "You've got yourself a deal Annie Walker."_

Auggie wiped his hand down his face and rested his elbows on his desk. The past week had been exhausting for everyone what with Annie's return. The entire building had been buzzing with gossip about her presence ...her survival ...speculation of her time off the grid ...her betrayal to the agency, and Auggie's least favourite ...her betrayal to him and Joan. He didn't need to be reminded of the conflicting turmoil that was raging war within him. He didn't need to be reminded that she'd caused his darkest moments by leaving him thinking she was dead.

He'd only ever wished for her to be alive. To have her back next to him laughing and going about their daily routines as they'd always done. _Every day_ since she'd been gone it was all he'd wished for, just to have her next to him once more. Now she was, it felt as though some cosmic joke had been played on him. She was alive but he was still shattered. She was in his arms but it still pained him.

But he'd rather have her breathing than not have her at all. He wouldn't settle for anything less.

"Admiring your handiwork?" Auggie almost laughed at Joan's words as he began to think that it was his fault for the cosmic joke, but realise that she wasn't talking to him. He lifted his head out from his hands and turned in the direction of her voice.

"How did he die?" The sound of Annie's voice still stunned Auggie, no matter how many times she spoke. He would find himself simply trying to get her to speak, throughout every minute of the day, just to have her confirm her presence still existed. But her voice had not been the same. Auggie used to be able to picture how her features would form, just from the tone of her words, when she spoke. Now the only picture he could put to her words was a cold blankness, with no emotion behind anything that she said or did.

"They found three bullet wounds to the chest." Auggie realised that Annie and Joan were in front of the wall screen looking at the pictures of Ishkoff's deceased associates. And from Joan's description the only person who suffered that fate was Ishkoff Vivaldi's Step-brother, Alec Dumont.

"Where?" Auggie listened intently as Annie's voice wavered slightly.

"He was found near an abandoned flour mill on the coast of Ireland," Joan sounded curious as to Annie's interest in Dumont. "Why the curiosity?"

Annie ignored her question, "Was it just him?"

"What do you mean?"

Annie ignored her once again, "Auggie can you look up Genevieve La'vue?"

Just as interest spiked as Joan, Auggie typed the name into the system and put his findings up on the screen for them to see, "Genevieve La'vue, found dead three months ago on her farm with a bullet wound to the chest." Auggie scanned the rest of the information, "There's no record of her before 2010."

"Annie?" said Joan.

Auggie heard Annie's voice shake slightly, "Her name was Mika Dumont. Alec Dumont's daughter. It was thought that Ishkoff had killed her when he found out Dumont was supplying the C.I.A. with Intel. That's why she changed names."

Joan moved straight into her role as head of the DPD and began milking Annie for every ounce of detail from why she knew this, and then on to her time spent with Alec Dumont. As the questioning continued, Auggie could hear the distant tone in Annie's responses, as if she was somewhere in her memories rather than sitting in debriefing with Joan.

After about two hours of vicious probing and questioning by Joan, Annie was left alone. As soon as Joan headed back towards her office Auggie heard, above all the constant chatter in the office, Annie's soft heels heading out of the office.

The cool air washed over her face and exposed arms as she stepped out into the courtyard of the office. Despite feeling like a threatening stranger around the inside of the office, she felt oddly peaceful with the familiar surroundings of the water sculpture and stone bench. She briefly allowed herself to pretend that she'd never left and it was a normal week in the office. That she'd just stepped out after a long day for a bit of R&R. Her eyes followed the steady paths of the water as it rushed down the sheet of glass into the shallow pool a few feet away from her. Sometimes a few stray streams would run off the glass surface, but would join back up again like a magnet had pulled it back to the safety of the larger water movement. Then there were the few stray streams that would fly off the glass and not rejoin, and would plummet to the shallow pools below. After everything that had happened, had _she_ already plummeted? Had she strayed so far off the glass that there was nothing to pull her back in?

She'd allowed herself to believe that someone could have returned to the safety of the glass. When she'd left Alec at the boarder of Siberia she'd allowed herself to believe that he was able to escape his past with Ishkoff, that he was able to finally return to his daughter and live his life. But wasn't she the prime example that the odds always stood against you? That it was pointless to believe that anyone she knew was safe? Annie_ knew_. Somewhere in her, she _knew_ that if Ishkoff could get to Annie's family, it would have been child's play for him to get to his step-brother's child. Annie barely registered the sound of the courtyard door opening as a flash of a green laser light cross across the rushing water.

She felt him sit beside her on the bench and felt the side of her body connect with his, thigh to knee, elbow to shoulder, "She would have been fifteen." Her voice sounded hollow to her ears.

"Dumont's daughter?" His voice was like the water over the glass, steady and soothing. She'd tried to maintain her distance from him since the night she saw him at his apartment. That he'd been there during the night whilst she'd had the haunting memories had just made him more vulnerable to hurt. She was damaged goods and he needed to realise that she would only bring him more pain and turmoil. All she'd done was hurt him she'd tried to explain to him that night... but _damn_ her, seeing him after all that time spent wishing he was in her ear like he used to be, guiding her... she broke. And even though she hadn't seen or spoken to him outside work, she'd recently realised that she'd unconsciously remained close to him. She'd remained close to his desk throughout the day, constantly needing him in her sights or having him next to her at any cost.

Annie nodded, "Yes."

Auggie slid his hand into hers and squeezed it gently, silently sharing her thoughts about Danielle and the girls.

"I want him dead, Auggie. It's the least he deserves." Her voice remained steady and sure. She just realised where she was, as though she was blinking herself out of a dream.

Almost as if Auggie had read her thoughts, he let go of her hand and stood, "Come on."

"Where to?" She stood without meaning to, automatically drawn to wherever he was moving to.

She heard the slight hesitation at this question. It wasn't as though they could go to the Tavern and have a beer like they used to in their routine, and Annie's safe house was her last safe haven that was completely untouched by any government agency or database.

Auggie let loose a small effortless smile, "somewhere I can have a beer and a meal without having my conversation tapped."

Annie felt her lips twitch into a smile that mimicked his and let him take her elbow as she guided him out of the courtyard.


	10. I Can Help You

Throughout the entire time Annie was hunting down Ishkoff she'd never imagined she'd be back sitting in Auggie's apartment, chilling back with a cold one and a pizza. It seemed almost other worldly as she took in the setting in front of her – like she was living a distant memory rather than experiencing the present. Annie lifted the slice of pizza towards her and softly inhaled, a soft sigh escaping as the flavours of melted cheese and mixed herbs assaulted her senses.

"What?"

Annie looked up to find a curious smile and puzzled expression on Auggie's face as she realised he'd heard her. She laughed softly and looked down at her pizza, "I just hadn't realised how much I missed American Pizza."

His eyes softened, but his mouth was set in a grim line. "You'd never came back until now?"

It wasn't an accusation, more of a statement of fact. However it still panged Annie's heart as it reminded her that she'd left Auggie, and as much as she didn't want to admit it, she'd known that she had intended to leave him for good. During the week they'd spent together in the office, Annie had been waiting for Auggie to treat her as she _should_ have been treated, the way Joan treated her; with a cold distance and only speaking to her when it was required for the assignment. She kept waiting for Auggie to realise that what she'd done was too irreparable to fix. That she was no longer the Annie she was back then. She'd tried to distance herself from him since her first night back. She only spoke to him at work, she only regurgitated the information from her past when it was most necessary, and she tried with her utmost abilities to shut everyone out. Too much damage had already been done. Sympathy was no longer a privilege she had.  
>But no matter what she tried to do, she'd find herself unconsciously drawn to him, like a moth to flame. She'd study him working at his desk, memorising his movements – both when he was concentrated on something, or when he was stretching back to rest – or simply gravitating towards him and always remaining in the same room with him. She'd come to realise that if she was going to carry out her original plan, she would finally lose August for good.<p>

"I never believed I'd come back here, no." She decided the truth was better than a lie. She'd already lied too much for him to bear. No matter what they'd said to each other, they never went into detail about what she'd been through, and Annie didn't know if it was because he couldn't handle it, or if she couldn't. She wouldn't be able to succeed in retelling the version of events with detached emotion in front of Auggie. Joan was a different story – that was for information purposes. But with Auggie, she could tell that he would be listening to her words to understand how she felt, her emotions behind everything, and how to overcome it all. And if she opened up one hole to glimpse, the whole dam would break.

He'd never asked to hear about what had happened. He'd accepted the snippets of information that she'd given Joan and the rest of the C.I.A. but had never prodded for further information. He was probably attempting to let her share her story when she was ready. More than anything she wanted Auggie to understand, wanted him to know everything. But the betrayal she witnessed on his face the night she came back was a constant warning every time she went to speak about it all. She wouldn't dare lose him a second time. And his judgement was the only thing she cared about.

"Do you want to tell me about it?" Auggie's soft voice jarred her from her thoughts. Was he able to mind read?

"Auggie, what I've done... you wouldn't want to know." She couldn't look at him. Even though he was blind, she'd always felt as though he could read her as an open book and see into every corner of her soul.

"I know some things. I'm still here aren't I?" He was referring to how the DPD had access to the information on the take-outs she'd done on Ishkoff's men. During the time Annie spent adrift, Auggie had been tracking each of her kills and analysing each of them.

Annie visibly shuddered knowing that Auggie knew of all the deaths she'd committed. The pizza suddenly felt heavy and cold in her hand so she lowered it to the plate in front of her. "I know you know how many people I've killed and the basis of how I've done each of them, but Auggie... As much as I relive it most nights in my dreams, I don't know if I'm ready to talk about it."

His hand landed on her knee in comfort. She rested her hand over his and squeezed it, half to know that he was physically right there with her and the other half just simply to touch him. He flipped his hand over, so they were palm to palm, and his fingers began tracing the faint scar lines from the explosion. He turned to face her front on and held out his other hand for her other one. Placing both hands in his, his fingers roamed with the gentlest touches, following along every defect the explosion had marred into her skin. Each of her scars, the one of her legs, hands and arms were permanent features reminding her that because of her failure to illuminate one man in the first place, her family had suffered the consequences. They were her visible humiliation that would stay with her forever after failing her family.

She tried gently to pull her hands out from his grasp but he held tight, "Auggie..."

He lifted her hands towards his face and pressed feather light kisses to each of the scars. "I'd kiss every one of them if you'd let me find them. But if you're anything like I was after I lost my unit, you want to keep your battle wounds to yourself.

"These aren't battle wounds. They're only a reminder that I failed my family because I didn't kill Ishkoff in the first place. I did nothing but bring their deaths looming to their front door. At least you did everything you could to save you're unit... I did nothing."

"If you had taken that shot in the first place, you wouldn't have survived, remember? He had two other-

"But my family would have! Don't you understand, Auggie? My job, my choices killed my sister and her family. I have to live with that."

His hand reached up and squeezed her arm, "But you will live."

Her head looked away from his urgent expression, "...and that is my punishment."

A soft sigh escaped through his lips, "I've been where you've been, Annie. When I lost my Unit, there was nothing keeping me tethered to this place. My sight was gone, the men I'd considered brothers were all gone, but I was still living. I- I hit rough patches, as everyone would... but Annie, I came back from this. Remember when I found the man responsible? I tried the exact same thing as you have. I wanted revenge."

Annie closed her eyes, knowing where he was going with this.

"It was you who talked me through it."

"I didn't know back then what I know now." Annie whispered.

"You made me realise that killing him would not be what my men would've wanted. That murdering him in cold blood would have made me feel good, but it wouldn't satisfy or justify anything."

"I found them burnt to ashes!" Her raged and frustration had reached its peak. His calm resolve that all would be right in the world if she let her revenge go was only building her walls higher, reminding herself that only she knew what was just, and what deserved revenge in this situation. "You lost your sight as soon as the blast went off," She knew she shouldn't be speaking to him this way when he was only trying to help her, but the rage and pain was always present these days – just waiting to swallow her whole. "But I was conscious the _entire_ time. You want to know what I remember from my _ordeal_? I remember being flown backwards in my apartment by a ball of fire. I remember pushing off the debris of my family home from me and walking through rubble to see my sister and her family completely _barbequed_!"

The rage was consuming her entirely as she leapt up abruptly from the couch, "Do you know how it feels to see the person responsible for their deaths sitting no more than two feet from me, smiling?" Her voice had gone shrill and panicked as the words kept flowing from her mouth. "Words cannot describe how hard it was to let him live! To walk away! I-I"

Her breaths were becoming too shallow and her lungs weren't getting enough air. Her heart was beating erratically, her entire body softly convulsing from the overwhelming realisations of everything. "I-I... Cant. Breath."

The next moment she was pulled into strong arms and lowered back down to the couch. A soft soothing voice gradually calming her, gently stroking her back. "Just breathe, Annie."

"They're gone, Auggie. They're really gone." The tears raced down her face as sobs wrenched from deep within her, the realisation slowly succumbing her.

"I'm here, Annie." His hold was iron secure as pulled her back with him into the couch, letting her tears stain his shirt.

* * *

><p>"Joan, I think I have something."<p>

Joan put the documents she was sifting through down and walked over to Stu's computer. Besides her betrayal she felt from Annie's choices to go rogue and how she'd lied to them all, Joan had spent every waking minute trying to detect Ishkoff's network and where he might be holding the information he claimed to have on each of her agents. As much as she told herself she was doing this for the protection of her agents and the C.I.A., what had happened to Annie to cause her to go AWOL was still her number one motivator. She saw so much of her own fire in Annie when she'd hired her, that seeing the damage it had caused her top agent from what Ishkoff had pulled off was enough to hit home with Joan.

"What have you got, Stu?"

"I've been trying to access his secure computer data-base that Jai located in his hotel in Venice. I haven't come across anything full proof, but I have accessed his emails. Look at these."

Stu connected his screen to the large room screen at the front of the office as Joan strolled up and looked at the list of emails in front of her. As he opened up each one of the emails, Joan realised these were how his contacts in the various terrorist organisations were communicating with him. And, as more emails began popping up on the screen she noted the attitude in the emails turning from inquiries, to demands and then into threats.

"He's failed to fulfil his end on these deals for the past few months. His buyers aren't looking to happy." A small smile touched Joan's lips as she realised that as Annie had been tracking down each of his group members, Ishkoff's fear had taken control and he'd began to loose control of his operation. Now that it was only him left, he had nothing to support him. If he was let back out into the world she didn't doubt that each of these organisations that were threatening him would be after him in a heart beat. It was a hunch - and a slight one at that - but Joan realised that one of the reasons Ishkoff wasn't delivering his promises was because one of the members Annie had gotten to, had been his information consult and manufacturer.

The sent items where only proof of his paranoia of Annie with threatening emails being sent to different people telling them that he wouldn't deliver if they're men didn't immediately cease threatening the lives of his operatives.

"I don't know if we'd say you've struck gold here, Stu. But it's enough to know that we now have leverage on our prisoner."

* * *

><p>Next chapter should be posted soon.<br>This story is almost complete. Only a few to go then hopefully it will wrapped up.  
>Thank you all for your kind reviews. Let me know what you think of this please. :)<p> 


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